Mill-product-discharging mechanism.



W. B. NEWLON. MILL PRODUCT DISCHARGING. MECHANISM.

APPLlCATION men ma. 9, 1915.

1,21 1 ,743. Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

ml/iam B- New/on.

rrnn srrnrns PATENT OFFICE.

WILLIAM B. nEWLon, or FREMONT, NEBRASKA, ASSIGNOR or ONE-HALF 'ro GEORGE A. MEAD, or CENTRAL CITY, NEBRASKA.

MILL-PRODUCT-DIS CHA RGING MECHANISM.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Jan. 9, 1917.

Application filed February 9, 1915. Serial No. 7,145.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. NEWLON, a citizen ofthe United States, and a resident of Fremont, in the county of Dodge and State of Nebraska, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Mill- Product-Discharging Mechanisms, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to mechanism for controlling the discharge of mill-products, such as alfalfa-meal or the like, from chutes or bins containing such products and wherein there is maintained a certain pneumatic pressure resulting from the operation of pneumatic conveyers and dust-collecting devices. I

It is the object of my invention to provide a simple, inexpensive and eflicient means for controlling the discharge of millproducts under the described conditions, whereby the solidm'aterials may be removed from a chute or bin Without permitting the escape of air therefrom in such quantity or under such pressure as vto blow the pulverulent material about and cause loss thereof or annoyance to workmen in handling the same.

A mechanism embodying my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a longitudinal vertical section of the mechanism on the plane of the line ave-w of Fig. 2, Fig. 2 is a horizontal section on the plane of the line y y of Fig. '1, Fig. 3 is a detail transverse vertical section on the plane of the line z-z of Fig. 1, and Fig. 4 is a perspective view with a portion of the frame broken away.

My invention is especially adapted for use in mills producing alfalfa-meal, wherein the products of the milling operations are usually elevated and conveyed by pneumatic pressure, and wherein the use of dustcollectors having thick Icloth screens causes a comparatively heavy back-pressure of. air to be constantly exerted in the bins and chutes. As a result of such air-pressure, direct removal or discharge of the dry pulverulent material, for sacking the same, or for mixingit with other materials as in the production of various stock-foods, is practically impossible because the light powdery material is blown out by the escaping air, causing loss of the material and great annoyance and discomfort to the workmen employed in handling the same.

In the illustrated embodiment of my invention I provide a rectangular casing 1, made of sheet metal, and suitably supported in a horizontal position. In the upper side of said casing, at the center thereof, is an opening at which is connected the supplychute 2, and opposite the same inthe bottom of the casing there is a discharge-opening connecting with a chute 3. In the central part of the casing between the openings to the supply and discharge chutes there is a horizontal plate or partition 4: extending from side to side of the casing, and forming in the upper central part thereof a rectangular chamber 5. In said chamber there is'disposed a vertical plate or head 6 which is movable horizontally in said chamber, like a piston, the extent of movement being such as to carry it in each direction past the end of the supply-chute. Swingable plates 7 are pivoted on horizontal axes at the ends of the plate 4, said plates 7 being secured to rods 8 of which the ends extend-through suitable bearings in the sides of the casing.

At one end said rods are bent laterally to form crank-like arms 9 on which weights 10 are adjustably secured, the crank-arms being in such relation-to the plates 7 that the weights tend to swing the free ends of the said plates up toward the top of the casing, to positions such as that shown at the right of Fig. 1.

Extending longitudinally in I the lower part of the main casingisa horizontal conveyer-shaft 11 which is suitably journaled in the ends of the casing, and of'which the inclosed part carries conveyer-screws 12 and 13. Said conveyer-screws are, respectively, right and left hand, so that by rotation of the shaft in the proper direction said screws tend to actuate materials from the ends of the casing toward the opening to the disfrom the ends of the main casing 1 is a horizontal frame 14. At one side of said frame there is journaled in suitable bearings a lone gitudinally extending drive-shaft 15 on which is carried a pulley 16 which is connected by a belt 17 with a suitable source of power. On one end of the drive-shaft is carried a sprocket vheel 1S and from said wheel a chain 19 extends to a sprocket-wheel 20 on the conveyor-shaft 11. The driveshaft also carries a small bevel-gear 21 which meshes with a bevel gear 22 carried on the end of a crankshaft 23, said shaft 7 tends to and is connected with the crank formed by the central portion of the shaft 23. One of the swinging plates 7, that adjacent to the end of the casing through which the piston-rods extend, is slotted sufficiently to permit the piston-rods to extend through it when it is in the raised position shown in Fig. 1.

In order to clearly understand the operation of the mechanism, it must be noted that the material operated upon is of a peculiar consistency, and comprises a certain amount of fibrous matter formed from the stems and tougher portions of the alfalfa plant, together with a variable proportion of pulverulent material formed from the leaves and fragile portions of the plant, and of which the size of the particles ranges from that of an impalpable powder to leaf-pieces of considerable size. This material is capable of being compacted by pressure into comparatively non-porous masses, and if immediately released from such pressure the material will become loose again so as to readily fall apart when a mass of considerfalls into the chamber 5 on one side or the other of the piston .6, according to the position of the piston at the time. The crankshaft 23, through the described connections, causes the piston to reciprocate in the chamber 5 pastthe opening of the sup:

ply-chute, and the piston pushes the ma terial alternately from the endsof the cham ber 5 into the throat-like spaces above the swinging plates 7. Said plates press yieldingly against the material causing the same to be compressed into relatively compact masses during its passage through the .throat-spacesabove the plates. Uponreachingl'the outerends of the swinging plates,

however, the pressure uponthe masses of material is released and the loose material falls into the lower part of the casing at the ends thereof. From the ends of the easing the loose material is moved by the conveyer-screws to. the center where it falls into the chute 3, being thereby directed to any desired point below the discharging mechanism. It will be seen that the compact masses of material in the throat-spaces above the yielding plates 7 form stoppers which will effectually prevent the escape of any considerable quantity of air, which mightotherwise pass down through the chute 2 along with the material from the bins. The pressure exerted by the plates upon the material may be varied, as required to secure the desired effect, by adjusting the positions of the weights 10 on the'crank-arms 9.

It will be obvious that various changes and modifications of the described mechanism may be made without departing from the essential structure thereof, and that the mechanism may be used for discharging other products than those particularly mentioned, such as the coarser products of cereal mills, when the conditions met with are similar to those herein set forth.

Now, having described my invention, what I claim and desireto secure by Letters Patent'is:

1. Ina mechanism for discharging pulverulent materials from a receptacle containing such material together with air under pressure, a casing having a chamber 100 therein connected through an open passage with the receptacle, a reciprocating member movable in said chamber to push the material toward the end thereof, and means forming a yielding throat at the end of said chamber into which the material may be pushed directly by the reciprocating member and compacted to form a stopper for preventing escape of air from the chamber through said throat.

2. In a mechanism of the class described, a casing, a piston movable in said casing, means forming an open passage for directing material into the path of the piston, means forming a yieldable throat into which the material may be pushed directly by the piston, and means for receiving the material discharged from the throat. 1

3. In a mechanism of the class described,

-.a casing having a'horizontally-extending 12o chamber therein, means for directing material into the central part of said chamber, a reciprocating piston disposed in the chamber and adapted to push material. toward alternate ends thereof, there being at the ends of the chamber throat-spaces into which the material is pushed by the piston, a movable plate disposed at one side of each throatspace, means connected with the plates for pressing them toward the throat-spaces to maintain pressure upon material therein, and means for receiving material from the outer ends of the throat-spaces and conveying the same to a common discharge-openmg.

4. In a mechanism of the class described,

a horizontally disposed casing, a piston disposed in the upper central portion of the casing, means for reciprocating the piston horizontally, a partition-plate closing the bottom of the space traversed by the piston, a chute for directing'material into the central part of the space traversed by the piston, yielding means adjoining each end of the partition-plate and forming the lower sides of throat-spaces connecting With the ends of the space traversed b the piston, and means for varying the resistance of said yielding means to displacement thereof by material pushed into the throat-spaces by the piston.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto subscribed my name in the presence of two Witnesses.

W. B. NEWLON.

Witnesses:

D. O. BARNELL, A. W. JAMIEsoN.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, I). G. 

